Getty Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors looks on before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on April 9, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors‘ bid for a repeat NBA title is on the line Thursday night in a must-win game they’ll be forced to play without Draymond Green.
The league office suspended Green for one game after deeming that the Dubs forward intentionally stomped on the chest of Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis late in Game 2 of the two teams’ opening playoff series on Monday night, April 17.
The NBA’s decision to sideline Green for Game 3 has been a polarizing one, with some criticizing Green for his lack of self control and others accusing the league of going too far and potentially deciding a first-round series involving the defending champions. Superstar Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers fell into the latter camp with comments he posted to Twitter on Tuesday night.
“A suspension is crazy,” Lillard wrote.
Lillard Outspoken on Green, Fuels Warriors Trade Rumors
GettyDamian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers passes the ball during a game against the Boston Celtics at the Moda Center on March 17, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Lillard is a well-respected perennial All-Star and one of the faces of the NBA. Considering that status, his decision to speak out publicly in favor of Green while watching the playoffs from home isn’t all that surprising. Even still, Lillard’s comments add fuel to the flames heating up rumors that Golden State could try and trade for the Blazers’ superstar point guard next season.
For the first time in his career, Lillard spoke openly about needing to consider a change in his surroundings should Portland fail to field a roster capable of competing for a championship in 2023-24 in favor of a rebuild.
“That’s what the frustrating part of it is,” Lillard told reporters on March 21, per NBA Central. “Us ‘building.’ That’s not what I’m here to do, especially at this stage of my career.”
Shortly after Lillard’s change of tune, Heavy NBA insider Sean Deveney laid out a trade proposal flipping Lillard for Warriors players Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Patrick Baldwin Jr. as well as a first-round pick.
Lillard Could Replace Green as Member of Warriors’ Big-3
GettySteph Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
Lillard is one of the priciest players in the NBA after signing a two-year contract extension with the Blazers through 2026-27 for an estimated $121.8 million. Despite that, the Dubs can make the money line up closely enough to deal for Lillard next season without including any of their trio of stars — Green, Steph Curry or Klay Thompson.
That said, the price of keeping all four players on the roster for just one full season is probably untenable considering the luxury tax implications. The move becomes considerably more feasible if the Dubs part ways with one of their core three players, and the most likely contender would be Green.
Green has a $27.6 million player option on the final year of his contract in 2023-24 and if he picks it up, the Warriors’ only option would be to trade him. In that scenario, Green could replace Poole in a deal with the Blazers for Lillard, as Green’s and Poole’s respective cap numbers are almost exactly the same next year. Portland, however, would be unlikely to trade for an aging Green who is mostly a defensive specialist over the young and offensively dynamic Poole.
Thus, Golden State would need to find another trade partner for Green and incur essentially the same amount of incoming salary, meaning that it might make more sense for the Dubs to just hold onto Green and run a Bay Area Big-4 out for one incredibly expensive bid for another title.
If Green decides not to pick up his player option and instead tests the waters of free agency, presumably finding a deal for less annual pay but significantly more money in total over a longer contract term, then the financial pain of signing Lillard would be lessened substantially.
Moving on Lillard will make the Warriors squad older. Trading Poole for him after dealing former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman earlier this season would be a clear indicator that the organization is all-in on the Curry championship window, resigning itself to multiple seasons of hard times once that window closes for good.
However, adding Lillard to a team with Curry and Thompson would render the Dubs the undisputed best shooting team in NBA history, which would go a long way toward bringing even more glory to what has already been a nearly unprecedented dynasty in Golden State.